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July 22, 2011

This is Norway's Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg. His offices in Oslo were bombed today. Several people were injured. No, I am not making any political statement or anything. I am half Norwegian, and our family still has a farm a little north of Oslo. I merely want to send prayers to the country and to it's people, and hope others will too.
Mama Carol

Norway horror: 80 die in camp shooting, 7 in blast

By NILS MYKLEBOST, AP

OSLO, Norway — A homegrown terrorist set off a deadly explosion in downtown Oslo before heading to a summer camp dressed as a police officer to commit one of the deadliest shooting sprees in history, killing at least 80 people as terrified youths ran and even swam for their lives, police said Friday.Police initially said about 10 were killed at the forested camp on the island of Utoya, but some survivors said they thought the toll was much higher. Police director Oystein Maeland told reporters early Saturday they had discovered many more victims."It's taken time to search the area. What we know now is that we can say that there are at least 80 killed at Utoya," Maeland said. "It goes without saying that this gives dimensions to this incident that are exceptional."A suspect in the shootings, and the Oslo explosion that killed seven people, was arrested. A police official said the suspect appears to have acted alone in both attacks, and that "it seems like that this is not linked to any international terrorist organizations at all." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because that information had not been officially released by Norway's police. The official added, however, "it's still just hours since the incident happened. And the investigation is going on with all available resources." The motive was unknown, but both attacks were in areas connected to the ruling Labor Party government. The youth camp, about 20 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of Oslo, is organized by the party's youth wing, and the prime minister had been scheduled to speak there Saturday. The blast in Oslo, Norway's capital and the city where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, left a square covered in twisted metal, shattered glass and documents expelled from surrounding buildings. Most of the windows in the 20-floor high-rise where Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and his administration work were shattered. Other buildings damaged house government offices and the headquarters of some of Norway's leading newspapers. Police said the Oslo explosion was caused by "one or more" bombs. The police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Oslo bombing occurred at 3:26 p.m. local time (1:26 p.m. GMT), and the camp shootings began one to two hours later. The official said the gunman used both automatic weapons and handguns, and that there was at least one unexploded device at the youth camp that a police bomb disposal team and military experts were working on disarming. National police chief Sveinung Sponheim said seven people were killed by the blast in downtown Oslo, four of whom have been identified, and that nine or 10 people were seriously injured. Sponheim said a man was arrested in the shooting, and the suspect had been observed in Oslo before the explosion there. Sponheim said the camp shooter "wore a sweater with a police sign on it. I can confirm that he wasn't a police employee and never has been." Oslo University Hospital said 12 people were admitted for treatment following the Utoya shooting, and 11 people were taken there from the explosion in Oslo. The hospital asked people to donate blood. Stoltenberg, who was home when the blast occurred and was not harmed, visited injured people at the hospital late Friday. Earlier he decried what he called "a cowardly attack on young innocent civilians." "I have message to those who attacked us," he said. "It's a message from all of Norway: You will not destroy our democracy and our commitment to a better world." The United States, European Union, NATO and the U.K., all quickly condemned the bombing, which Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague called "horrific" and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen deemed a "heinous act." Nobel Peace Prize Chairman Thorbjorn Jagland said it appeared the camp attack "was intended to hurt young citizens who actively engage in our democratic and political society. But we must not be intimidated. We need to work for freedom and democracy every day."Associated Press reporters Bjoern H. Amland in Hoenefoss, Norway, Karl Ritter and Louise Nordstrom in Stockholm, Matthew Lee and Rita Foley in Washington, Paisley Dodds in London, and Paul Schemm in Tripoli, Libya, contributed to this report.

July 20, 2011

We are certainly getting tired of beans asking us that! But we are eternally grateful for our nice home now. This place has the air cooly thingy and we are comfortable. We used to be miserable in our old place without it. I can't even remember how many fans we had on in the place. One to two in every room! And in the winter, it was blankies all over the place! Not here!
We are feeling very sympathetic to beans in the heat wave who don't have air cooly thingies. We've been there!
Please remember to tell your beans to drink a lot of water and, hey if your place is hot, ask for a couple ice cubes in your water! And tell them to check on you and on baby beans and elderly beans!
Stay as cool and safe as you can!
Mommy is volunteering tomorrow at the food bank, but it is sort of cool there.
love,brandi ps. Today is the anniversary of the first walk on the moon. I think space exploration ends tomorrow. At least the shuttles are grounded anyway.
Today is also the anniversary of my mommy leaving her house by boat one summer when she was living in Missouri. She said it was pretty bizarre sitting in a boat going by trees in her front yard, and holding on to her woofie. She was young enough to think it was an adventure, but old enough to help clean up after the waters receeded.

July 6, 2011

Yesterday mama had to go to the clinic and she was gone a long time. She had lunch there, and didn't bring me any leftovers!
Well, she did share breakfast and dinner. But STILL!
And this morning she had crumpets, which I am not that fond of. And she didn't share that.
Then this morning she destroyed my artwork in my bedroom. It's MY bedroom. All those little footie prints I worked so hard at. Gone.
This is turning out to be a rotten day.
And I even was nice when I woked her up this morning.
Geezz!
Oh, and the 4th was kinda okay this year. Getting used to the noise, I guess. And that chenile blankie....
love,brandi

July 4, 2011

July 1, 2011

I know it's been a while. We took a little break. Really nothing to write about much.... Eat, sleep, sleep, eat. Mama has been running the movies for movie night and also puts up on her board free stuff around town, like free concerts and stuff. She is also volunteering to work for the food bank two days a month. She was sick last night after the movie ("the King's Speech") and most of today, so I got to play nursie today, and Traci was warned not to come over so she wouldn't catch whatever it is mom has. She has slept most of the day (always smart) and I curled up on top of her so she wouldn't move (always comfy). And now she feels a little better (you're welcome, mama).
The last time we looked at the temperature today it said 97. I am Sooooo glad we have the air blowy thing! And mama left it on all night last night! It was 80 when we went to bed!
So, that catches things up pretty much. And here's a picture to remind everyone what I look like in case you forgotted:

from me to you

May all your wishes come true

About this blog

The banner of this blog is one done by Ann of Zoolatry, whose creativity and generosity knows no bounds. We are blessed with an elegant blog suitable for the new sweet lady cat of Catitude--QUINN--with this assistance. And Skeezix once said code was not for just any kitty-- boy was he right!
Cat Bloggers RULE.
And, oh yes, Angel brandi is looking down on Quinn from over the Rainbow and helping her sister as much as possible!

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